BLACKOUT PROTOCOL

Chapter 8

“Tell me something, Ethan… when you look at him, are you seeing your replacement… or your reflection?”

Crowe’s voice echoed through the operations center while the image of the chained man filled the screen.

The resemblance was perfect. Same eyes. Same jawline. Same scar near the eyebrow. Ethan felt the room tilt beneath him. Impossible.

“No…” he whispered.

The unconscious man slowly lifted his head. Even the movement looked identical. Lena stared at the screen in horror.

“What the hell is this?”

Evelyn’s expression had turned pale. Crowe smiled calmly from the corner of the monitor.

“Project Genesis,” he answered.

“The future of controlled intelligence.”

Gunfire thundered somewhere below the building.

The resistance operatives scrambled into defensive positions while alarms screamed across the hidden base.

But Ethan barely heard any of it. Because he was staring at himself. Crowe continued speaking casually.

“Your father was brilliant, Ethan. Too brilliant. He believed genetic encryption would protect Blackout Protocol from corrupt governments.”

Crowe chuckled softly.

“He underestimated ambition.”

Ethan clenched his fists.

“You cloned me.”

“Not exactly.”

The chained man suddenly opened his eyes. Cold gray eyes. Not brown like Ethan’s. Something dark moved behind them. Something empty.

“He’s an enhanced duplicate built from your genetic framework,” Crowe explained.

“Stronger reflexes. Higher pain tolerance. Absolute obedience.”

The duplicate stared directly into the camera without blinking. Ethan felt sick.

“He’s unstable,” Evelyn said sharply.

Crowe smiled wider.

“For now.”

Another explosion shook the operations center violently. Dust rained from the ceiling. One of the analysts shouted,

“They’re inside the second perimeter”

Evelyn turned instantly toward her operatives.

“Seal the eastern corridors”

People rushed into motion around her. Lena stepped beside Ethan quietly.

“You okay?”

“No.”

It came out harsher than he intended. But how could he be okay? Everything he knew about himself was collapsing.

His father built Blackout Protocol. His mother led a resistance movement.

And somewhere nearby existed another version of him created to replace him completely. Crowe’s voice interrupted again.

“You know the funniest part, Ethan?”

Ethan glared at the screen.

“He volunteered.”

Silence slammed through Ethan’s chest.

“What?”

Crowe tilted his head.

“Your duplicate chose this life willingly.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Is it?”

The duplicate on-screen smiled slowly. The expression looked wrong on Ethan’s face. Predatory. Empty.

“Bring him to me,” the duplicate suddenly said.

Ethan’s blood froze. Even the voice sounded similar. Crowe leaned closer to the camera.

“He’s been waiting to meet you.”

The transmission suddenly ended. All screens went black. The room fell into tense silence. Then Evelyn moved fast.

“We leave now.”

Ethan turned sharply toward her.

“You knew about this?”

“Not everything.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Evelyn grabbed his injured shoulder before he could pull away.

Pain exploded through him.

“You can hate me later,” she snapped.

“Right now Crowe is coming.”

As if summoned by her words, automatic gunfire erupted directly outside the operations center.

The enemy had reached them. Resistance operatives opened fire instantly. Screams echoed through the hallways. Lena pulled dual pistols from beneath her jacket.

“We’re out of time.”

Evelyn nodded toward Noah.

“Take Ethan through the lower exit.”

“No,” Ethan said immediately.

Everyone looked at him.

“I’m done running.”

Evelyn’s expression hardened.

“You think this is bravery? Crowe wants you alive.”

“Then let him come get me.”

Lena grabbed Ethan’s arm roughly.

“This isn’t the time for revenge fantasies.”

Ethan yanked free.

“You lied to me.”

“So did your mother.”

Evelyn stepped forward sharply.

“I lied to protect you.”

“And how’s that working out?”

The room shook again. Closer this time. An operative stumbled into the center bleeding heavily from the neck.

“They breached the west hall”

A bullet suddenly tore through his skull. Blood exploded across the floor. Everyone spun toward the doorway.

A man stood there calmly lowering a silenced pistol. Ethan’s breathing stopped. Because the man looked exactly like him. The duplicate.

He stepped over the dead operative slowly while gunfire and chaos erupted behind him.

The resemblance was horrifying. Like staring into a mirror twisted by cruelty. The duplicate’s gray eyes locked onto Ethan instantly. Then he smiled.

“I finally found you.”

Lena fired first. The duplicate moved impossibly fast. He dodged sideways before shooting two resistance guards directly between the eyes.

Panic exploded through the operations center. More armed soldiers flooded into the room behind him.

Crowe’s forces had arrived. The duplicate kept his attention on Ethan only.

“You look disappointed,” he said calmly.

Ethan grabbed a rifle from a fallen operative.

“What are you supposed to be?”

The duplicate tilted his head slightly.

“The better version.”

Gunfire erupted everywhere. Resistance fighters clashed with Crowe’s soldiers across the operations center while alarms screamed overhead.

The duplicate walked through the chaos untouched. Bullets narrowly missed him as he advanced toward Ethan with terrifying calmness.

Lena fired again. This time the duplicate caught her wrist mid-shot and slammed her hard against a computer station. The impact shattered glass instantly.

“Lena” Ethan shouted.

The duplicate smiled without looking away from Ethan.

“She dies first”

Rage exploded inside Ethan.

He charged forward and tackled the duplicate violently through the central table. Both men crashed onto the floor trading brutal punches instantly.

It felt like fighting himself. Same speed. Same instincts. Same training. The duplicate kneed Ethan’s injured shoulder hard. Pain blinded him.

Then the duplicate grabbed Ethan by the throat and slammed him against the floor.

“You’re weaker than I expected,” he whispered coldly.

Ethan struggled desperately as pressure tightened around his neck. Nearby, Evelyn shot two soldiers while screaming orders to evacuate.

The entire base was collapsing into chaos. The duplicate leaned closer to Ethan’s face.

“Do you want to know why Crowe made me?”

Ethan barely breathed beneath the crushing grip.

“Because you still have humanity.”

The duplicate smiled darkly.

“And humanity makes you defective.”

Suddenly a gunshot exploded beside them. Blood sprayed across Ethan’s face. The duplicate froze. A bullet hole had appeared through his chest. He slowly turned.

Noah stood several feet away holding a pistol with both hands. The twelve-year-old boy’s hands trembled slightly. But his eyes didn’t.

The duplicate stared at the blood spreading across his shirt. Then he looked back at Noah. And smiled.

“You missed the heart.”

Before anyone could react, the duplicate grabbed Ethan violently

And both of them crashed backward through the shattered glass wall of the operations center.